Definition:
An education method set up to accomodate teachers and students who are physically seperated.
 

Overview:

Distance education is based upon the same components as regular academic instruction (and uses a variety of technology to address the components):

- presentation of content
- interaction with faculty, peers, and resources
- practical application
- assessment
 

Distance Education courses are not all the same.  They may:

- use different technology
- move at a different pace of instruction
- place primary control in the instructor or in the student
 

Considerations for Designing a Distance Education Course:

1.  Educate the Instructor

The institution hosting the course must determine what training the faculty will be provided concerning the model of distance education they will be involved in and the technologies they will be using. The faculty will likely be more confident and effective if they understand what they are being asked to do, and why. The instructor must know the capabilities of the technologies available so that the tools can be effectively used to meet their instructional objectives.

2.  Please Plan

Development of distance instruction requires presentation of new strategies and additional preparation time.  At the start of class discuss the set of rules, guidelines, and standards. Once procedures have been established, consistently uphold them.  If course materials are sent by mail, make sure they are received well before class begins.  Start off slowly with a manageable number of sites and students.

3.  Resources must be Reliable

Planning for traditional course delivery usually involves easy access to campus-based resources such as libraries, laboratories, and computer software and hardware. In distance education, the faculty and administrators must work together to think creatively about how to accomodate the educational needs of the students who do not have access to the above resources. Solutions may involve altered assignments, interinstitutional resource-sharing, special services at off-campus sites, and greater use of computer technologies and networks.

4.  Teacher-Student Communication is Essential

In regular education classes faculty members usually have office hours to deal with questions and concerns of individual students. A mechanism must be employed in a distance education class so that off-campus students can easily contact a faculty member. Instructors must provide off-campus students with the neccessary information needed in order to make contact (telephone number, e-mail address, fax number, etc.).  It is important to converse one-on-one as student and teacher to ensure progress is being made.
 

5.  Hands-on Activities Help

The most challenging aspect of distance education is to provide students who are not on campus with experiences that equal those of other students in fully equipped labs. The faculty must determine how crucial hands-on experiences will be integrated into the distance education program, ensuring that students achieve their desired learning.
 

6.  Try Tons of Teaching Techniques

Be aware of the different learning styles your students will have.  Diversify and pace course activities. Mix content presentations with discussions and student-centered exercises.  Humanize the course by focusing on the students, not the delivery system.  Be concise. Use short, cohesive statements and ask direct questions as technical linkages might increase the time it takes for students to respond.  Develop strategies for student reinforcement, review, repetition, and remediation.
 

7.  Equal Treatment for Every Student

Set up a system for distributing materials that ensures everyone is treated equally.  Students must have access to the materials they need to complete the assignments, to participate in the group or class sessions, and to benefit from instructor feedback. Students who are not at the original location should not be disadvantaged.
 

8.  Assessment is Appropriate

Distant students need to reflect on what they are learning. The students should examine their background knowledge and analyze how they are adding to or changing it.  Formal assessment such as examinations, papers, and class presentations provide opportunities for the student and teacher to evaluate learning.  Less formal methods of evaluation also help the students and teacher to understand learning.  Periodically during the course the instructor should ask students to write a brief reflection on what they have learned and then provide an opportunity for them to share their insights with other class members.
 

9.  Evaluate the Educator

The faculty evaluation form that students complete for traditional classroom courses will need to be modified in order to produce useful information about faculty effectiveness in a distance education environment. Information about personal characteristics of successful instructors should be factored into future planning, as should information about effective instructional strategies.
 

10.  Revision is Respectable

There is room for improvement in any course.  Students tend to place more confidence in a course that has been significantly revised than in one considered flawless the first time through.  Revision plans are usually a direct result of the evaluation process with feedback from students, colleagues, and content specialists. The best revision ideas are usually the instructorís own reflections on the courses strengths and weaknesses.  Course revisions may be minor, such as breaking a large instructional unit into more manageable components, increasing assignment feedback, or improving student-to-student interaction. On other occasions, major revisions will be needed. Significant course changes should be tested prior to future course use.